Tell your family's story through the eyes and voices of your loved ones in a custom memoir film before ... the memories fade away.

I just watched the lovely film Gail and you made about the Pitney Family and Pitney Farm. The Kelly/Mooney team does a thorough job of interviewing family members and filming, giving authenticity and preserving our family legacy. Our family is grateful that our history has been attentively documented in a priceless film by Gail Mooney and Thomas Kelly for future generations to enjoy. ~ Barbara Long Johnson

Options for Your Family Biography Film

Like every family, each legacy video is unique. We offer various options below and will customize your video to suit your family's desires.

OPTION 1 -Roots

It has become trendy to find out one's DNA, but this option offers you so much more. We create a customized trip for your family to visit and explore your family's roots and preserve your family's story in a priceless "Ken Burn's" style film. We have combined our expertise and love of traveling, history and storytelling to put together an experience your family will never forget. Your trip will include on-camera interviews of family members in addition to b-roll footage of them exploring their family's birthplace. Give your family the most precious gift of all, a priceless film that preserves their heritage. (Travel expenses are additional)

OPTION 2 -Legacy

Your family members may be located all over the map. Trying to assemble everyone in one place at one time is a scheduling nightmare. We will travel to where you and your family members are located and film individual on-camera interviews of them. (Travel expenses additional) We create a keepsake film combining the interviews, additional footage (b-roll) and your legacy still photographs and/or home movies with a professionally scripted and narrated voiceover telling your family's story.

OPTION 3- Heritage

We film individual on-camera interviews with up to six of your family members as well as shoot additional footage (b-roll) of them in one location. The interviews and b-roll are required to be scheduled and shot over a four-day period. (not necessarily consecutive) You'll receive a keepsake film of your family's story, combining interviews, b-roll and your legacy still photographs and home movies.

OPTION 4 - Heirloom

We film individual on-camera interviews with up to three family members, as well as shoot additional footage (b-roll ) of them in one location. The interviews and b-roll are required to be scheduled and shot over a two-day period. (not necessarily consecutive) You'll receive a keepsake film of your family's story, combining the interviews, b-roll and your legacy still photographs and home movies.

FAMILY BIOGRAPHY FILM FAQ

What is a “Ken Burns” style video? We are different than other companies who simply edit and organize your family photos and home movies. We make documentary videos that tell your family’s story in a cinematic style. We capture the family stories through on-camera interviews with your loved ones while your loved ones are still here to tell them and combine them with your collection of archived photos and home movies. Your story is told through a custom cinematic film.

What kind of film/video you want. How far back in history do you want to go?

What’s the scope or focus of the video? For example: Her family? His family?

Who are you producing the video for? Are you producing it for yourself? - your siblings? For your children? For your parents?

Who do you want interviewed? There’s usually one person in every family who is a great storyteller. But there are many other family members that have stories to tell that you will also want to interview. It's a good idea to make a list of all the family members that you want to interview along with any stories that you may want retold. The goal is that everyone’s stories will complement one another and relay the family history from many different perspectives. A good story is multi-dimensional.

Communicate with other family members who may want to contribute or be involved. Understand that some people may not be comfortable talking on camera but might be better with an audio only interview.

How do the interviews work? We send an interviewer (producer), cameraperson, assistant and sound recorder to where your loved ones are located. Sometimes people can’t travel or may be more comfortable in their own home. When possible we try to gather your family in one common place.

What questions do we ask? Essentially we ask questions that trigger great stories. They may be questions about relatives who have passed, things you did for fun as a child, school memories, good times, hard times and accomplishments.

Consider gathering the family together for a family reunion with the sole purpose of capturing professional interviews. This is better approach than trying to multitask andcapture interviews at another family gathering such as a wedding. You would ultimately end up taking people's time and attention away from the event they wanted to attend. You may consider having a reunion at a destination where your family has roots. Allow time to interview relevant locals like a past family friend if that's the case.

Gather old family photos, videos or home movies from your personal archives. This also includes important letters and documents. Letters can be read by a voiceover narrator or by the writer of the letter if possible.

How much does it cost? Prices are quoted based on the film option you choose which is tailored specifically to your family. Pricing is dependent on the scope of the project. How many family members do you want interviewed? Where are they located? Can they gather in one place for the interviews? How big is your collection of family photos and movies that need to be digitized?

Who will see the video? That’s up to you. You may share it privately amongst your family members or post it publicly on a platform like YouTube. We are professionals and very discreet. We don't share your family’s information, photos or footage.

How will the video be delivered to you? We can create DVD’s or send you digital files of the movie that you can share or upload to various electronic platforms or to your family's own website.